Read a full match report of the Championship game between Middlesbrough and
Leeds United at Riverside Stadium on Tuesday Feb 12, 2012.

Curtis Main produced a moment of rare quality to settle a closely­contested Championship clash and re-establish Middlesbrough’s promotion credentials. His magnificent header also sparked calls for Leeds manager Neil Warnock to be sacked from the travelling support.

Middlesbrough have suffered a torrid start to the year. Top of the table at the start of November, they began 2013 looking for automatic promotion, but are now struggling to cling on to a play-off berth. Before yesterday, they had lost five on the spin.

Leeds are just about within sight of the play-offs, but they have saved their best football for cup competitions, beating two top-flight teams to reach a quarter-final of the Capital One Cup. They face Manchester City in the FA Cup this weekend.

They did not seem distracted by that trip early on here. David Norris twice went close with long-range shots as they capitalised on a tense atmosphere among home fans. Jason Steele saved well from the second effort.

Boro should have opened the scoring in the first half, though, when captain Rhys Williams failed to sweep in Grant Leadbitter’s free-kick at the far post.

They were then fortunate not to fall behind when Steele fell over coming out to claim a cross. That gifted the ball to Ross McCormack, but Jonathan Woodgate blocked brilliantly on the line.

Whatever manager Tony Mowbray said at half-time worked. Main almost broke the deadlock soon after the restart with a back heel as the home team increased the pressure on the visiting defence. Leeds held firm and Paul Green was close to heading home a Michael Brown free-kick ­during a rare foray forward.

With just over a quarter of an hour left, keeper Paddy Kenny ­rescued Leeds with three saves in quick ­succession, denying Grant Leadbitter, Williams and Josh McEachran.

Leeds’ January arrival Steve Morison should have punished such ­profligacy when, unmarked, he headed straight at Steele.

With nine minutes left to play, Main sent his looping header across Kenny and into the far corner of the goal. The infuriated Leeds’ fans, already unhappy with their team’s mid-table status, chanted “Warnock, Warnock time to go”.